AN engineering graduate has helped design a medieval siege catapult game for a Middle East theme park.

Kevin Vayro, from Chester-le-Street, was among the Engineering Creatives team who designed 18 interactive exhibits for the My Works theme park in Yas Mall, the space age shopping centre in Abu Dhabi.

The Newcastle University graduate worked on several of the £1m installations, including designing the automated catapult, where groups of up to three visitors use small medieval siege catapults to launch projectiles at targets of varying difficulty.

Other exhibits include an interactive train simulator, a catapult game, a recycling machine and environmental simulations.

Mr Vayro said: “The work that I have been involved in both here in the UK and in the Middle East has been very interesting, and challenging.

“I never believed that I would be designing and making complex systems for interactive entertainment, but here I am.”

All the games were designed at the company’s Newcastle office and assembled at their South Shields workshops, before being shipped out to the Middle-East.

Managing director Clive Mockford said: “The support that the company has received from Newcastle University has been excellent.

“Kevin has been a fantastic addition to the company and he continues to develop his knowledge and skills as we take on new and innovative projects.”